Frescorts (Pushing Daisies 2.4)

I think Pushing Daisies started early last night. Or maybe my TIVO started late. At any rate, I came in to the show to see a woman pushing a baby stroller down the stairs. It took me a few minutes to realize it was Emerson Cod’s Mama! Wow, we’re just delving into everyone’s family life aren’t we?

Oh, I think I’m jumping ahead. Let’s see here, I’m trying to think of a creative way to recap Pushing Daisies. As we are getting more into characterization, I’m less interested in the murders (altho’ wow, last night’s was kinda gruesome.) and more into the Pie-relations.

So, let me give you a BRIEF rundown of the murder…we’ll do it backwards, with no mystery. So, if you didn’t watch, AVERT YOUR EYES NOW…

It’s the typical I-wish-I-was-a-jock-in-High-School-story turned a little morbid. A geeky school mascot, Buddy Amicus, imagines the star quarterback is his bff. When he realizes (after a little jock strap incident) that he’s not, the mascot dons his Spartans uniform and stabs his hero in the back-literally.

After “years of dermatology, orthodontics and steroid abuse” (*snicker*) Buddy is the man he always wished he was. And then he begins his new company, My Best Friend, Inc. A best friend “escort” service. You pay money for one of their frescorts to be your bff. I guess this is what Buddy always wanted in High School.

Buddy pretends to be the happy CEO and former quarterback himself while hiring people he wishes were his bff, too. Namely Joe. Joe was My Best Friend Inc.’s best frescort. He could bff with the best of them. And Buddy wanted to be his bff, too. (I’m sorry but I just can’t resist writing bff. It makes me laugh.)

When Joe decides to quit because he wants to date a fellow frescort, Buddy is transported back to his mascot days and stabs Joe, too. (Seriously, how freaky is this? Serial killer for real. *shudder*)

OK. I think that about covers the murder. Of course, there was all sorts of great stuff in between…Buddy’s hugging machine (Ned especially digs it), the mummified quarterback in Buddy’s office (ew.), Joe’s girlfriend, Barb (she stole the scene, imo. quite a departure from her character on Heroes, dontcha think?); the striped decor of the office, the lobby, the outside building and the business cards of My Best Friend.

Now, let’s get back to Emerson and his Mama (or Momma as Emerson says)…

Calista Cod is a PI herself. As a boy, Emerson was part of the private investigation firm, Cod and Cod. His mother split their earnings while using Emerson as a lil’ Gumshoe. (Her pet nickname for him…ring any bells?)

She shows up at the Pie Hole smoking a stogie and basically bothering Olive and Ned. She then helps Emerson investigate two cases at once (yes, the aforementioned Joe. Since he was everyone’s bff, two different people hired Emerson to solve the murder.) Meanwhile, she was really there to investigate her son. Through a mis-phone call from a publishing company, she discovers Emerson’s Lil’ Gumshoe book and assumes it’s a book to bash her as a mother. (If the gumshoe fits…)

Emerson has been keeping his daughter and her disappearance a secret from his mother (how did this happen?) and is disappointed when he finds his mother snooping around his office. After several choice conversations, the Cods forgive all and begin again. While Emerson rewrites his Lil’ Gumshoe book at his mother’s suggestion.

I’m not sure what was up with the whole Emerson-mom thing. It was kinda random. We’ve heard about the Lil’ Gumshoe book about 3 times. And now a whole episode about Emerson and his mom—which is really about Emerson and his daughter? It felt a little contrived. Maybe this reunion between Emerson and his daughter is going to be pivotal to more of the Pie people than we think.

And now, let’s get to our Pie Love Triangle (Pie-angle?)…

Ned is still sad that Chuck has moved into Olive’s apartment.

Chuck is still relishing her new bff, Olive.

Olive is trying to be happy but is still in love with her roomate’s boyfriend.

And so, amid sluething (and being locked in a…locker by Barb), Chuck and Olive spill their guts and have a real cat fight. Chuck is having a hard time being nice to Olive when she sees her mooning over Ned. Olive is having a hard time being with Chuck when she’s with Ned.

Chuck decides she’s going to move back into Ned’s place. But after a conversation with one of their “persons of interest” in the Frescorts case, Ned decides he needs to be OK with being himself–alone. He makes Chuck stay with Olive. They resume their new bff status and Ned and Digby spend the evening eating pizza bachelor style.

OH. UNTIL CHUCK ENTERS THE APARTMENT WEARING NOTHING BUT A QUILT and then DROPS IT in front of Ned. Good grief. I’d love to say more, but I’ll save it for my blog. I just don’t get why a candy coated family friendly show would need to have that scene? I don’t even want to think about what Ned and Chuck did after dropping the quilt. Double ew.

Best Lines of the Night
(I didn’t write any of these down, so they may not be word for word…sorry…)

Chuck introducing Olive and herself to Barb, “Hi, my name is Kitty Pims and this is Patty Boots…”

In Conclusion
You know, I love this show. It’s the most interesting, creative, colorful and fun show on TV. It’s unbelievable to me that the writers can take a seriously SICK premise and turn it into something as fun as this. Everytime I see the camera swoop down on The Pie Hole, I get sad because I really want to go there.

And I really was sad about the naked Chuck scene. And Ned’s overjoyous face. (Still shaking my head trying to stop my brain from thinking about where they went next.) I’m also disappointed in the absence of the aunts. I love seeing the characterization of Emerson but I don’t want to push any of our other characters out of the way. When is Chuck going to confront her aunts (er…I mean, her mom and aunt?) When is Olive going to hook up with her old homeopathic admirer?

So, what’d you think? Is Pushing Daisies pushing the limit? Not enough? Or is it just yummy as pie to you?

(Oh, I didn’t even mention David Arquette’s appearance as Randy Mann, the taxidermist. Hee, hee. Again gruesome and hilarious at the same time.)

(I’ll be here all week…well, actually, not. I’ll be at ohamanda.com, though, if you’re interested.)

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6 thoughts on “Frescorts (Pushing Daisies 2.4)”

I’ve got to admit, I’m a little confused by your reaction to the final scene of the show, and by your characterization of the show as ‘candy coated family friendly.’ Sure, there’s the bright color pallete and quirky dialog, hence the candy coating…but this is also a show that deals with death every week. Chuck _was_ dead and will be again if she and Ned ever happen to touch, and every week there’s another death, frequently a murder, sometimes multiple murders (last week’s death toll was around ten — nine (?) clowns and a mime — and this week we had two stabbings and a girl getting crushed to death).

The show doesn’t exactly shy away from the gruesome, either — sure, it’s not the blood splatter of many of the less candy-coated crime dramas, but we did get treated to spouting jets of formaldihyde (however that’s spelled) this week. That was _quite_ cringe-worthy for both myself and my girlfriend.

And yet, that all rates as ‘candy coated family friendly,’ while a brief closing shot of two consenting adults who love each other taking the opportunity to get as intimate as possible (given that they can’t actually touch) rates condemnation and disgust? Personally, I find healthy (and imaginative) sexuality _far_ more ‘family friendly’ than murder, and have never understood why, as a culture, we in the United States are far more accepting of letting our children familiarize themselves with violence and murder than with a healthy outlook on sex.

In any case (here, lemme shove this soapbox out of the way), I didn’t see anything wrong with the closing shot, and both my girlfriend and I (who both _love_ this show) thought it was fun and sweet to see. Looks like we count solidly in the “yummy as pie” column! :)

Just wanted to agree with Michael. Loved the way you put how scared we are to openly discuss sex. And in this case, it is so minor and always in the context of this loving relationship we see unfolding. I loved the scene and the episode and was happy for the two of them. Enjoy! And as far as being family-friendly, I have never considered the show to be a family show. I would say from episode 1 it has been purely PG-13, which I would say it is staying at. It is a fantasy show for adults and that is part of what I love about it so. Thanks!